Chasing the Sun
by ThiefofSong
Summary: Most cats, from the time they're young kits to the time they're warriors, aspire to be the best that they can be. To be clan deputy, or even the leader someday. Minkkit just wants to be good enough.
1. Chapter 1 - Think Bigger, Try Harder

_**AN: So! This is my second story, and it's going to be being written alongside The Choice. I wanted to do something that had to do with the canon Clans, even if I didn't use canon characters. **_

_**I hope that this is somewhat enjoyable? I don't know. I tried to make it sound okay, but it's up to you guys, I guess!**_

"What's the first thing you're gonna do when you become a warrior?"

The voices of the other kits drifted across the clearing, as bright and cheerful as they always were. From where she sat, she could see them; Minnowkit, Maplekit, Duskkit, Smokekit, and Eelkit. Their fur was spiked in excitement as they looked at each other, curiosity burning in their eyes.

The first, Minnowkit, lifted her head and puffed out her chest in an attempt to look big and important. "I'm going to work on convincing Reedstar to give me an apprentice. I mean, I won't be the obvious choice, maybe, but once he sees I really want to do it…" She gave the kits gathered around her a wide grin. "I'll be the best mentor RiverClan's ever seen, and I'll be well on my way to becoming Clan deputy!"

Eelkit scoffed and rolled her eyes at the tabby. "You seem to think that Reedstar's just gonna _give_ you the spot of deputy. As if!"

Duskkit nodded along with her words. "You have to earn it, you know!"

One of the queens, Rainfur, gave them both stern looks. "Stop being so rude! It's okay to dream big. Even if she doesn't get to be Clan deputy, there is _nothing_ wrong with wanting to try."

"Rainfur is right." Said another, Dappleflower. "You'd do well to think like her. Being ambitious within reason can be a good thing!"

"See? Rainfur and my mother know what I mean!" Minnowkit purred, going to lay beside Dappleflower. The queen began to wash her daughter, who leaned into her soothing licks.

"Well," Eelkit began, "I want to patrol the borders as my first warrior duty - none of that yucky hunting business, please!"

Rainfur tilted her head at the younger cat, her whiskers twitching in amusement. "What do you mean by 'yucky'?"

"Oh, StarClan, no." Duskkit groaned, hiding his face in his paws. "Here we go!"

Eelkit shot a nasty glance at Duskkit before saying, "Well, I think it'd be awful to hunt first thing! I mean, I'm not a very patient cat, you know, and Daddy says that hunting takes a _lot_ of patience."

"You're also very _loud_," said Minnowkit.

"And annoying. How could you even catch something like that?" Duskkit added, smirking at Minnowkit, who let out a giggle.

"Hey! That's mean. I am _not _loud and I am _certainly_ not annoying!" Eelkit spat back, leaping to her paws. The fur along her spine fluffed up, and she looked crossly at him. "I just think it'd be really, really _boring_, that's all! And anyway, what would _you_ know? You're just a stupid, arrogant furball!"

Hurt flashed in the dark gray tom's eyes. "I wasn't being serious, you know!"

"Oh yeah? It sure didn't sound like it." Eelkit grunted, turning away so that she wouldn't have to see the sharp looks the mothers stationed around her were giving her. Her gaze settled on where the sixth, final kit was watching from across the camp, and her eyes softened. "Hey, Minkkit! Come on, join us over here! You don't have to sit by yourself."

The light, tawny brown she-kit felt a thrill of shock. While she'd been watching them, it'd been in an absent-minded sort of way, and she hadn't been expecting one of the other kits to speak to her. She was happy to oblige, however, and she got to her paws and hurried across the sun-warmed sand toward Eelkit.

"Minkkit," Dappleflower purred, waving her tail to invite the kit to lay by her. She did so, stretching out in the warm sunlight that pooled around them and sighing contentedly.

"Did you hear what we were talking about?" Eelkit asked, coming to lay beside her. The others settled around Rainfur, allowing her to give them a quick wash.

"Bits and pieces," The light tawny brown kit said casually. "I heard what you and Minnowkit wanna do, and I think they're both good things!"

"Ha! At least _one_ of my friends thinks wanting to be deputy is okay, instead of it just being my mother and another queen." Minnowkit mewed triumphantly. "No offense, Mother!"

"None taken, I suppose." Dappleflower said, flicking her kit's ear with her tail. "What about you, Minkkit? What's the first thing you want to do as a warrior?"

"She'll want to patrol with _me_, obviously! I mean, we're sisters, and we like doing stuff together, right? Smokekit would wanna come, too, wouldn't you?" Eelkit looked at her sisters hopefully, and Minkkit tipped her head to the side in thought. She did love her sisters, she really did, but if she had to be truthful with herself…

"I don't really know," She said, even as Smokekit nodded, somewhat timidly. The gray and white she-cat hated to be put on the spot like she was then. "It _would_ be fun to come with you guys, but… I just don't know! I feel like I should do whatever is required of me."

"What do you mean?" Eelkit asked, looking somewhat saddened by what she'd said.

"I mean… I guess I mean that I just want to do whatever is enough for the Clan. If that's patrolling with you, then that's fine! If it's hunting or staying in camp to make sure it stays protected while everyone else is out doing something, that's okay, too." She took in a deep breath before continuing. "I don't really care if I ever become something as important as Clan deputy. It'd be pretty cool! It really would, but I just want to… I just want to be good enough, and my first duty as a warrior should be whatever the Clan needs me to do."

"Oh…" Her sister was quiet for several heartbeats, her tail swishing back and forth in the way that it did when Eelkit was deep in thought. Then, looking straight into Minkkit's eyes, she said, "That's a great thing to want! It isn't like we wont ever patrol together, so do whatever makes you happy, sister." She headbutted Minkkit's shoulder affectionately.

Minnowkit, however, was not so pleased with the other kit's answer. "How could you _not_ want to be deputy? You could be leader one day! You could be talked about for generations! That would be _so cool_, wouldn't it?"

"Minnowkit." Dappleflower said warningly, her voice low. It didn't phase her, though, and she went on.

"That's okay, then. If you want to just be _good enough_, then you don't need to be leader in our games anymore. That's just more times for everyone _else_ to be leader!" She spat, and Minkkit recoiled. Why was she being so nasty? Why was doing what she wanted to do so wrong?

"Minnowkit, why-"

"You seem to think that because you're only a few days away from being an apprentice that you're as mature as a warrior already. You act like you're _so great_, and like you're just… Just… _Better than me_! You talk like you're so cool! You aren't! I'm only a half moon younger. I think bigger! I try harder! I'm just as great, but everyone is still looking at you right now like you're a StarClan warrior!" Minnowkit was breathing heavily now, her blue eyes blazing in anger. She didn't seem to realize just how mean she was being until Dappleflower quite suddenly cuffed her roughly over the ears.

"_Enough!_" She yowled, causing other cats in the camp to raise their heads to look in their direction. "You are being unnecessarily mean right now, Minnowkit. Minkkit isn't trying to be better, or more mature, or _anything_ you claimed. She isn't talking like she's 'cool', she's talking like a cat who's figured out what they want out of life - something that you need to figure out as well!"

"Mother, I've already-"

"_No_, I don't mean that. That's all fine. What I mean is that you need to figure out who you want to be as a cat. You can't go around being needlessly rude. You can't be like this just out of the blue. Doing things like this, it'll end up making you bitter, and I _know_ that this isn't you. I don't know what's happened to make you this way, but…" She trailed off, her eyes softening as she looked at her kit. "You can talk to me. You can talk to your sister, or Rainfur, or Cindercloud, or any of your friends. Even the elders or other warriors! If you need help, we're _here for you_, okay?"

"Yeah, Minnowkit!" Maplekit squeaked, bouncing toward her sister and winding around her to show her love for her sister. "We might argue a lot, but I'll shred anyone's ears for you!"

"So would we!" The other kits chimed in. Minnowkit stared at them all, her ears flat against her skull, looking uncomfortable and out of place. Her eyes fell upon Minkkit and she looked even more sad. After several moments, Minkkit got to her paws and padded closer to the gray tabby. She wasn't sure - couldn't be sure - what exactly had made her react like this. She'd been speaking from her heart about what she wanted to do, as her mother, Cindercloud, had told her to do. She was being truthful. She didn't want to see her friend like this, though. It just wasn't right for the normally spunky, energetic little cat to be so upset.

"I would be, too."

Minnowkit's eyes widened. "I - really? Would you really be there for me?"

"Yes." Minkkit said firmly, leaning forward to nuzzle her gently. "I'll do my best to stand by you with everyone else. You are my _friend_!"

"I'm so sorry, Minkkit!" She whispered, backing away from her slowly. "I… I'll make this up to you somehow, I promise!"

Minkkit watched as she turned and darted away, heading for the nursery. Confused thoughts swirled in her head. She dearly loved her friends, and Minnowkit was no exception. She wanted to do _something_ to help her, but for all her love and for all the things she knew, even as a kit, this was not something she was experienced in dealing with.

"Don't worry about it, dear." Dappleflower mewed, causing Minkkit to turn and look at her. "She… She gets a bit angry sometimes. She means well, but… Don't worry. Just continue being a good friend and you'll be alright."

That she would. It didn't matter what had happened, or what Minnowkit thought of what she wanted to do when she became a warrior. She would be a warrior and she would stand by her friends until her last dying breath. She would be good enough for them - she just knew.

**_AN: Did this sound alright? It's a little... Weird, I guess. I'll work on making it better!_**


	2. Chapter 2 - All the Small Things

**_AN: Here's the second chapter! I don't really have much to say right now other then I hope you enjoy it! - Song _**

The air smelled of rain the morning of Minkkit and her sisters' apprentice ceremony.

The sky was overcast, and even as the cats slid out of their dens to start the new day, the clouds seemed to darken, promising that there would soon be showers. Because of this, Cindercloud swiftly washed her kits, wanting them to look their best.

"Oh, my little loves." She said, her voice soft and low. "It feels like just yesterday you were opening your eyes, and now look at you! You're becoming apprentices!"

"I know, right?" Rainfur mewed as she fiercely licked the fur on Duskkit's head smooth. He'd been born the same day as the other three, his birth brought on by the sudden stress of needing to assist Cindercloud with her labor. He'd been a tad early, but it didn't seem to matter now; he was already promising to be a good sized cat. "I can't believe it's happening!"

"And I can't believe that I'll be stuck in here with these two mouse-brains." Dappleflower said, affectionately flicking her kits, Minnowkit and Maplekit, with her tail.

"I can feel the love, Mother." Minnowkit said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah," Maplekit agreed. "So much love to be felt."

Cindercloud purred, finishing up on Smokekit and motioning for Eelkit to come and get her wash. "Don't worry, it'll only be a half moon until yours are apprenticed, and then the three of us can hunt and patrol together again!"

Eelkit struggled in her mother's grip, batting at her muzzle with gentle paw swipes. "I can wash _myself_, you know."

"She wants you to look good, Eelkit." Duskkit mewed to her, and then, with amusement in his voice, he added, "Not like you just came out of a river."

"He's right, so don't argue." Cindercloud said, cutting her daughter off before she could speak. "You do it so quickly that you don't get all the dust or dirt off. I hope you groom better as an apprentice!"

Eelkit groaned loudly, though she ceased struggling. "I will, I will. Don't worry, Mother, I'll be the best apprentice around!"

"Or I will!" Smokekit mewed in a rare show of boldness.

"Or I will." Minkkit said, washing herself some so that her mother - hopefully - wouldn't need to lick her as much.

"I know you will." She purred. "I'm just so proud of you!"

"As am I." A deep voice said, and Minkkit and Smokekit leaped to their paws excitedly. Eelkit stayed put, knowing full well that Cindercloud would cuff her over the ears if she moved.

"Father!" Minkkit bounded up to him, winding around his legs. Cedarstripe's dark tabby fur spiked up in pretend fear and he leaped back, feigning fear.

"Not the monster! Anything but her!" He begged, his yellow eyes looking fondly at his daughter.

"Daddy, please." Minkkit laughed, wanting to play with him but not wanting to mess up her fur - she'd finally gotten a bit on her head to lay flat. "I'm going to be an apprentice today! We can't play games right now."

He laughed with her. "I know, I know. I'm going to miss playing with you and your sisters, though. It was always good fun!"

"You're nothing more than a kit yourself, aren't you?" Rainfur muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear. Almost all the cats - save for Cedarstripe himself, who huffed good naturedly at her - burst into fits of giggles.

"Yes, Rainfur! I am the biggest kit there is. Perhaps I'll stay up crying all night in the warrior's den like kits do when they're tiny, just to annoy you." He said, winking at her.

"It wouldn't phase me, really. I'd be worried about your mate, though - she has to sleep next to you, and if you wake her up with your racket, she'll claw your ears off!"

"She's right, you know. I will!" Cindercloud growled, though her whiskers twitched in amusement. She let Eelkit go, finally, and Minkkit padded over to her so that she could smooth her fur in the places she couldn't reach as well. Almost as soon as she was done, a yowl sounded from the clearing.

"That's Reedstar!" Eelkit gasped excited, bouncing on her paws. "Let's get going, guys!"

"Hold on, Eelkit!" Cindercloud mewed, rolling her eyes in Cedarstripe's direction. The little brown she-cat was always rushing headlong into things. "We'll go when he gives the cue."

"What _is_ the cue?" Duskkit asked, looking up at Rainfur.

"You'll know, dear. Just wait." She purred, giving his head one last swift lick.

From the clearing, Reedstar's strong voice drifted into the nursery.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the High Mound for a Clan meeting!"

All of the other RiverClan cats moved hurriedly, excitement buzzing in the air like bumblebees. The news of the apprenticing had spread through the Clan like wildfire, apparently.

"We'll be watching from outside the nursery. Good luck!" Dappleflower mewed, sliding easily out of the den. Minkkit watched her go, breathing in deeply. _This was it. This was when she'd finally be able to start doing things for the Clan._

"It is with great honor that I perform one of the greatest ceremonies that a leader is allowed - the making of kits into apprentices!" The Clan cheered at Reedstar's words, and Minkkit felt her siblings and Duskkit tense around her. "Smokekit, Eelkit, Minkkit and Duskkit, please come forward to stand beneath the High Mound!"

"That's the cue," Rainfur whispered from behind them with a tiny laugh, and Duskkit hissed lightly at her.

"Gee, you think, Mother?" He said, and then they were all being ushered out into the already bright morning sunshine.

The RiverClan cats sat in a rough semicircle around the High Mound, though several tail lengths back so that the kits could stand in the space left behind. They watched them approach, some moving aside so that they could take their places. Rainfur and Cindercloud gave them all one last quick lick before melting into the front of the crowd.

Reedstar looked down upon them as they came to a stop below him, warmth and pride evident in his expression. "You have all reached your sixth moon, and it is time for you to be apprenticed!" His gaze raked over the crowd of warriors, searching for someone, before they fell upon their target. "Otterclaw! You are ready for an apprentice. You have received excellent training from the late Troutfur and shown yourself to be a formidable opponent in battle and a loyal Clanmate. You will be the mentor of Eelpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

"I will not let you down, sir." The dark brown tom promised, moving between cats to reach his new apprentice. Eelpaw was trembling in sheer excitement, and when she and her mentor went to touch noses, she accidently bumped him too hard, causing him to rub his nose. Chuckles erupted from the crowd, and she looked rather embarrassed.

"Minkkit, please come forward." Reedstar commanded. Minkkit gulped, looking down at her paws. They were as small and boring as ever, and they didn't look like what she thought an apprentice's paws should. Was she even ready to be one? Without really thinking about it, she'd walked forward anyway and now stood apart from Smokekit and Duskkit.

"Minkkit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Minkpaw. Your mentor will be Frostfoot. Frostfoot, I know that you only gained warrior status about four or five moons before Minkpaw was born, but I have faith in your skill and hope that you will pass on all that you learned from Rushfang to your new apprentice."

Minkpaw wondered if he would be a good mentor, being a warrior for only eleven moons. He sauntered toward her, and though he generally looked at ease from the outside, she could've sworn that she saw a hint of fear and uncertainty flash within his eyes.

They touched noses without incident, then moved to the side so that the ceremony could go on. Frostfoot did not look at her again as Reedstar carried on.

"Waspwhisker, you received excellent training from Goosefur, and we all know that you can be patient when needed. We also know that you have an outgoing side like no other. I would like you to mentor Smokepaw in the hope that you can, perhaps, give her the proper amount of kindness while still keeping her training rigorous!"

Minkpaw saw Smokepaw exhale in visible relief. She knew her sister's worries of getting a cat that wasn't very patient for a mentor - like Mudstripe, for example. He was a nice tom generally, but Duskkit's father, Stormclaw, had been his apprentice, and he said that his training had been very difficult. With how flustered she could get sometimes, that would've been a bad match.

"Rushfang, you are also going to be taking on another apprentice." Minkpaw glanced behind herself to look at the older tom. He didn't look surprised to be getting an apprentice - Reedstar would have spoken to him about it - but he did look excited about it. "You will be mentor to Duskpaw. You were mentored by Swanclaw, and I know that you will pass on all that you learned to your apprentice."

"Eelpaw! Minkpaw! Smokepaw! Duskpaw!" The Clan began to cheer, over and over again, the words washing over Minkpaw like a warm wave. Excitement began to fizz deep within her belly.

_I've made it! _She thought to herself, getting over her past indiscretions easily now that thoughts of training filled her mind. _I'm going to be a warrior!_

"It's still early in the day, new mentors. Why don't you all take your apprentices out to see the borders and allow them to learn the territory some?" Reedstar asked them. All of them nodded - all except Frostfoot, who sat without looking at their leader. Minkpaw was sure she could smell a hint of fear on him, but he couldn't figure out _why_. What did he have to be scared of? All she wanted to do was prove herself worthy of her Clan. She didn't want to claw his ears off!

The others gathered quickly while the Clan dispersed, dividing themselves into the patrols that the deputy, Cloudface, was making. She nudged Frostfoot's shoulder tentatively, wanting to get going.

"Shouldn't we join them?" Minkpaw asked.

The pale gray tom turned to face her, his eyes narrowed slightly. He did nothing but watch her for a few moments before letting out a grunt. "I suppose. Let's go." Without so much as a flick of his tail, he began to stalk towards the rest of the group, leaving Minkpaw confused.

_Perhaps I'm not the one that isn't ready to train… _She thought, padding after him slowly.

_Perhaps it's Frostfoot._

**_AN: Frostfoot is a _good_ cat, so what could be making him this way...?_**


End file.
